Morrissey Cries Censorship as Conspiracy Single Charts on Vinyl Sales

Morrissey’s latest public grievance comes wrapped in a chart statistic. The former Smiths frontman has accused the BBC of blacklisting his single “Notre-Dame,” claiming the broadcaster’s refusal to play it proves that diversity pledges “are a lie.” His evidence: the song sits at Number 6 on the UK Singles Chart.

In a post on his website Morrissey Central, he wrote that “the public wants to hear the song, but the BBC will not play it even though their stations are a public service duty-bound to reflect public taste.” He added: “If the song is suspected of independent thought – God forbid! it is not played, therefore, under these circumstances, any station that pledges allegiance to diversity is lying.”

The track itself amplifies a conspiracy theory around the 2019 Notre-Dame cathedral fire, suggesting arson without evidence. Its lyrics include lines like “Notre-Dame, we will not be silent / Before investigations / They said, ‘There’s nothing to see here.’” This fits a pattern: Morrissey has spent years tilting toward the populist right, endorsing the far-right For Britain party and recently claiming that the notion of diversity “entails very strict Third Reich regulations and punishments.”

But the chart figure he leans on is misleading. That Number 6 position comes from the UK Singles Sales Chart, which counts only physical copies, downloads, and deluxe vinyl—a niche metric boosted by a recent vinyl release. On the Official Singles Chart, which factors in streaming, “Notre-Dame” does not appear in the Top 100. The discrepancy points less to a BBC conspiracy than to an